Swingable back for lounges and chairs



Oct. 26 1926.

J, J. HOGAN SWINGABLE BACK- FOR LOUNGES ANDCHAIRS Filed 0G13. 19, 1925Patented Oct. 26, 1926.

UNITED STATESv JOI-IN J'. HOGAN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

SWINGAIBLE BACK FOR LOUNGES ANI) CHAIRS.

Application filed October 19, 1925. Serial No. 631,295.

This invention relates to improvements in the swingable backs forlounges, chairs and the like, and has for its primary object the purposeof providing improved means a for operating and adjusting the chairback.

Another object of the invention is in providing an improved arresting orholding means for holding the adjustment of the chair back or back-rest.

A further object of the invention is in providing the back-rests ofchairs with an improved baclcrest operating and adjusting means whichwill permit the back-rest to be swung downwardly upon the seatingcushion so that the. chair or lounge can be cndensed in size forshipping or storage.

A. still further object of the invention is in providing the swingablechair or lounge back with an automatic closure portion for closing thegap or space provided between the lower end of the chair back Vand thechair base for permitting swinging movement of the back. y

Other and further objects will appear in the specification and bespecifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, exemplifying the invention, and in whichFigure 1 'is a side elevation of a portion of a chair or lounge showingthis improved mechanism used in connection with the swingable back.l

Figure 2 is a fragmentary transverse vertical section taken on the lineII-II o Fig. 1.k

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of one of the arresting levers showing anadjustable stoppin therefor.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detailed view of the adjusting mechanism.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates a sidesill of the chair or lounge, and 2 is one of the legs for supporting thesill, and extending upwardly from the sill 1 is one of the usual pair ofarms 3. 1

For the purpose of illustration only one of a pair of operatingmechanisms is shown, the other mechanism being a duplicate of themechanism hereinafter described, and in which a standard 4 having ahorizontally extending portion 5 is secured to the sill 1, saidextending Iportion having a pair of horizontally and inwardly extendinglips `6 for the support of an angle iron cross-member 7.

Horizontally dispo-sed adjacent the upper end of the standard 4 is abolt 8, and swingable on said bolt inwardly of said standard is asegment 9 having interiorly extending teeth 10, and extending upwardlyfrom said segment is an arm 11 which is secured to one ofthe sidemembers of the chair back 12, and extending from said' segment to theoppositely disposed segment not shown, is a tie rod 13.

Pivoted at 14 to the extending portion 5 of the standard 4 is anarresting lever 15 having a downwardly extending portion 16, and securedto the lower end of said portion 16 is a tie rod 17 which? extends transversely across the approximate width of the chair and is secured at itsopposite end at 18 to the depending portion 19 of the oppositelydisposed arresting lever 20. Secured to the forward end of the leverasdesignated at 21, is a pull lever 22 having a horizontally disposedoutwardly extending hand engaging portion 23 Vwhich extends over thesill 1, the oppositely disposed arresting lever! being provided with aSimilar' hand engaging portion.

` Pivoted at 24 to the segment 9 is a lever I 25 having a slot 26 formedin its lower end 27, Vand slidable within said slot is a pivot 28 of alever 29, said lever being turnable on` a shaft 30 and is adapted to beacted on as well as being ractive upon a tension spring 31 ,which ismounted upon the shaft 30, said shaft being supported inthe bearings 32.

Extending rearwardly from the standard 4 is an ear 33 bearing a pivot34, and mount ed on said pivot is al lever 35 having a crossmember 36secured thereto at its lower end,

vsaid lever being spring actuated downwardly by the spring 37 which ismounted upon the pivot 34, and secured at one end to the ear 33.

The cross-member 36 is adapted to rest upon the cross sill 38 of thechair, and secured to the cross-member 36 is the back covering fabric 39of the chair back 12, said fabric covering being liexed as shown in Fig.1 when the chair back is in a position inclining rearwardly from thevertical.

The extending portion 5 of the standard 4 is provided `with a bracket 40which is disposed above the sill 1, said bracket having a horizontalprojection, and mounted upon said projection is a coil spring 41 havingone end in engagement with thev arresting lever 15 for applying pressuredownwardly `back will be prevented from being moved rearwardly by thepin 42, which is engaged in the forward notch 43 of the segment 9, theexerted pressure creating a pulling strain on the arresting lever 15which is pivoted at A1.4. Then it is desired to swing the backrearwardly, the hand engaging portion 23 of the pulling member 22 uponbeing pulled upwardly will cause the arresting lever 15 to be swung uponits Vpivot 14, thereby elevating the stop pin 42 of said lever fromengagement with the notch 43, and the lever 15 is held in disengagedposition until the back 12 is swung rearwardly to a desired position,and the lever 15 is then permitted to be lowered by the action of thespring 41 thereagainst, and in which the stop pin 42 will engage a notch43 of the segment 9 thereadjacent, and in which the back 12 will be heldin the desired position.

In operating the back 12 rearwardly in which the segment 9 will be swungdown wardly on the bolt or pivot 8, the lever 25 pivoted at 24 to saidsegment will bear against the pivot 28 of the lever 29 thereby movingsaid lever 29 forwardly, and in whichthe spring 31 will be wound and thetension thereof increased. ln this connection when it is desired to havethe back 12 moved to or towards an upright position, when the lever 15is elevated by enga-ging and lifting on the hand engaging portion 23 forthe purpose of releasing the stop pin 42 of said lever from engagementwith the notch 43, the spring 31 will become active `on the springclutch collar 44,7and the lever 29 will be forced rearwardly bythespring tension andl the pivot 28 of said lever will become active onthelever 25, and inV which the back 12 will be swung upwardly.

lnasmuch as there will always be 'an eX posed .gap between the bottomedge 45 of the back and the sills 1 of the chair, the fabric covering 39depending from the' seat back which is secured at its lower end to thecross-member 36, will automatically close the gap as the spring ltensionon the levers will hold the cross-member down upon the cross sill 38,.This arrangement of the fabric 39 always being extended to the crosssill 38 will present a pleasing appearance to the back when viewed fromthe rear.

For shipping or storage of articles of" furniture of this character, theback 12 can be swung forwardly and downwardly without removing screws orany part of the structure by elevating and releasing the lever 15, andswinging the back 12 to the horizontal position shown in dotted lines inFig. 1 and in which the fabric 39 will be drawn taut by the action ofthe spring` aressed levers 35 as the cross-member 3G leaves the crosssill 38. This arrangement of folding the back against thel cushion ofthe chair will aid in space economy.

In mounting the segments 9 on each side of thefseat back, it sometimesoccurs that the teeth of one segment are not in aline ment with theteeth of the opposing segment, and inasmuch as the stop pins of therespective arresting levers 15 and 2O are to cooperate with the teeth ofrespective segments, Aprovision is provided on the lever 20, wherebyvthe pin 46 can be adjusted. ln this connection the pin V46 is mountedon a base 47, and secured to the lever by bolts 48 which are passedthrough respective slots 49 formed in the lever 20.

lnasmuch as the arresting levers 15 and 20 are tied together by the rod1T, the elevating or lowering of either lever by engaging and operatingeither the left or right hand engaging portion 23, both of said yleverswill be simultaneously moved and a release or engagement will be maderelative to both of the segments 9.

The outer bearing 32 adjacent which the lever 29 is mounted is providedwith a lug V5() which is in the path of rearward travel of the lever 29,said lever (or pair of levers) engaging against respective lugs 50 afterthe back 12 has been moved to its fartherest upwardly inclined positionas shown in Fig. 1, the lugs 50 holding the respective levers 29 ininactive positions against respective levers 25 through the pivots 2S ofthe levers 29.

In order to permit the stop pins of respective levers 15 and 20 to rideover the teeth 10 of respective segments when the back 12 is beingswuno, and particularly when the back is being swung to a horizontalposition above the cushion of the chair,

the segment is made open at its `front end, the circularv portion 51 ofthe segment being reinforced or supported by the offset rib 52 which isformed integral with the segment.

lVhat l claim'is 1. An article of furniture having a back, a kpivotedsegment bearing a series of interiorly arranged teeth secured to thelower end of said baclr, an arresting lever having a portion forco-operation with the teeth. of said segment, releasing means `for saidlever, a spring actuated lever, and a lever pivoted to said segmentco-operable with said spring actuated lever. f

2. A chair having a swingable back and a cross sill forming a part ofthe chair base,

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a length of fabric material depended from the back rearwardly thereof,means for hold ing the lower end of the fabric material downwardlyagainst said cross sill during the rearward swinging of said back, andmeans provided whereby the holding down means of said material areelevated when aid back is inclined forwardly of the chair ase.

3. An `article of furniture having a back, a pivoted segment bearing aseries of teeth secured to the lower end of said back, an arrestinglever having a portion for co-operation with the teeth of said segment,releasing means for said lever, a spring actuated lever, and a leverpivoted to said segment having a slotted portion co-operable with saidspring actuated lever.

il. A chair or lounge having a swingable back, an operating mechanismfor permitting said back to be moved Iand held in adjusted positionsrearwardly of the chair, a fabric material length depended from thehack, holding down means for the lower end of the fabric material, andmeans provided by said mechanism whereby said back can be swung to anapproximate horizontal position over the seating portion of the chair orlounge, 'said holding down means of the fabric material adapted to beelevated when said back is swung to the horizontal position over theseating portion of the chair.

5. An article of furniture having a back,

approximate horizontal position over the Y seating portion of thearticle.

6. An article of furniture having a back, a pivoted segment bearing aseries of teeth secured to the lower end of said back, an arrestinglever having an adjustable portion for (3o-operation with the teeth ofsaid segment, releasing means for said lever, a r

spring actuated lever, and a leve-r pivoted to said segment co-operablewith said spring actuated lever.

7. An article of furniture having a back, a pivoted segment bearing aseries of teeth disposed adjacent each side of said back 'at the lowerend thereof, an arresting lever for co-operation with a respectivesegment, one of said levers having an adjustable portion forco-operation with the teeth of its cooperable segment, releasing meansfor said levers, a pair of spring actuated levers, and a lever pivotedto each of said segments for co-operation with a respective springactuated lever.

JOHN J. HOGAN.

